USC’s defense is heading into 2026 with more experience, more confidence and a few new pieces that could change the whole feel of the unit. Gary Patterson’s influence should matter on the schematic side, but the Trojans also have a handful of players who can swing the season one way or the other.
At the top of that list is defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren, who has already started to separate himself as a leader. USC’s problems stopping the run and playing with consistent toughness have lingered for a while, and VanSumeren fits the kind of profile that can help fix both. He brings the edge and physicality this front needs, and that makes him one of the defense’s most important players.
The pass rush has its own pair of potential difference-makers. Kam Crawford is coming off a strong sophomore year, and with Jahkeem Stewart set to miss the beginning of the season, USC needs Crawford to keep rising. He finished last season with 5.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss and 41 total tackles, and another jump in year three could make him the kind of edge threat the Trojans can lean on every week.
Braylon Shelby is another name that jumps out. He was one of USC’s most experienced defenders last season, playing all 13 games and making 6 starts.
The production was already there: 4.5 sacks, 7 tackles for a loss and 29 total tackles, plus 4 quarterback hurries. Now that he’s moving into a starting role, the expectation is that he can climb to another level and join Crawford as a real problem off the edge.
In the middle of the defense, Desman Stephens has already shown he’s more than just a developing player. Last season, he logged 89 total tackles and 3 tackles for a loss in 13 starts, which is not the kind of line you usually see from a sophomore.
Now entering his junior year, he has the confidence and the support of Mike Ekeler and Gary Patterson behind him. He should be a major reason USC’s run defense improves in a noticeable way.
The back end has a name to watch too: Kennedy Urlacher. USC has gotten strong play at safety in recent seasons, and Urlacher looks ready to keep that going.
The son of Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher made 3 starts last year while Kamari Ramsey missed time, and he showed his upside against Oregon with 9 tackles and an interception. He finished the season with 26 tackles, and with no competition at his position this year, he steps into the role as the guy in the back end.
In Other News...
USC Game Day Just Made A Coliseum Change Fans Will Notice
USC is making a noticeable change to the game-day experience at the Coliseum for the 2026 football season, naming KTLA reporter Hayley Elwood as the new in-stadium host. She will take over for DJ Mal-Ski, who has long been one of the most recognizable voices around USC events and has helped shape the atmosphere at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and beyond.
Mal-Ski is expected to stay involved by continuing to manage the Coliseums music, so the shift is more of a handoff than a full reset in the stadium presentation. Along with the hosting change, USC also unveiled new concessions and themed promotions for home games, part of a broader effort to keep the Coliseum experience fresh for fans who notice the details as much as the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
USC Depth Chart Just Put Pressure On Two Young Trojans
USCs first depth chart for the 2026 season brought an early jolt to a couple of young players whose paths to the field now look more complicated than they did a few months ago. True freshman Trent Mosely is listed as the No. 2 receiver, with redshirt-sophomore Zacharyus Williams right behind him, a sign that the Trojans are giving youth a real chance to climb quickly at a position where depth always matters.
Williams arrived from Utah in 2025 but was slowed by injury last season, so this fall could be a defining one if he is going to carve out a role and avoid another reset. On the defensive side, RJ Sermons is still waiting for his first real game action after not playing as a freshman, and being third on the depth chart means the highly rated recruit may have to make his impact somewhere else, likely on special teams, to force his way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
USCs New Defensive Tackle Is Already Challenging A Troubled Position Group
USC has spent the offseason trying to harden a defense that needed a reset, and the arrival of coordinator Gary Patterson has been part of that push. Along with him came transfer defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren from Michigan State, a new piece in a front that the Trojans are counting on to look more stable and more disruptive when the season opens.
VanSumeren has not played a snap for USC yet, but he has already been described as a leader and a positive influence in the room, which matters for a position group still trying to define itself. The tone around the unit has centered on accountability, high standards and preparation, and the real test now is whether that mindset shows up once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]